ONE Championship holds inaugural event at The Venetian Macao

The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its first event in Macau, China. ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD is set to take place on Saturday, 13 August, in the Cotai Arena at The Venetian Macao. All bouts save for one have been confirmed. In the main event, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes will take on elite wrestler Andrew Leone for the Interim ONE Flyweight World Championship.

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE continues its rise as the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts promotion with another massive fight card planned in Macau next month. We have some tremendous match-ups for fight fans out there, including a thrilling main event between two of the world’s best flyweights in Adriano Moraes and Andrew Leone.”
“Real champions pick themselves up when they are down,” said top contender Moraes. “I feel renewed as a fighter and ready to reclaim my place at the top of my division. I’m going to get inside the cage against Andrew [Leone] and show the world that I’m back.”
“It’s my time now. I’ve been working very hard on my game, and feel I’m at that point in my career where I’m ready to just take the reins and show everyone who I am,” said Andrew Leone. “With an amazing team behind me, I have all the tools I need to compete at the highest level.”
Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes is a highly-skilled Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt with solid striking techniques. As champion, Moraes was rarely opposed inside the cage, using his long limbs to wreak havoc from range while posing the constant threat of submissions on the ground. He is on the comeback trail to regain his title, but first he’ll have to get past the talented Andrew Leone.
26-year-old flyweight Andrew Leone of Cortland, New York, made waves in ONE Championship when he debuted with a victory over top Filipino flyweight Geje Eustaquio in 2013. He has since strung together two solid victories over high-level opponents, including a unanimous decision over Japanese MMA veteran Koetsu Okazaki in his last bout. Now Leone looks to continue his winning ways by taking on his toughest assignment yet in former champion Adriano Moraes.
Adrian “The Hunter” Pang is a mixed martial arts veteran from Queensland, Australia, with a 22-8-2 professional record. Throughout his storied career, Pang has decimated opponents with his powerful strikes, overwhelming them with brute strength. In his last bout, Pang easily handled Malaysian star Peter Davis, stopping him with punches just 48 seconds into the first round. In his next bout, Pang will take on top Filipino lightweight Eduard Folayang.
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is one of the Philippines’ most well-rounded mixed martial artists, amassing an impressive 15-5 record over eight years as a professional competing in various promotions. A ONE Championship veteran since its first event in 2011, Folayang is a famed wushu champion who has won tournaments all across Asia, but he has also recently added solid grappling to his growing skill set. He now takes on his sternest challenge yet in Adrian Pang.
Eddie “The Magician” Ng is a 30-year-old lightweight standout originally from Hong Kong. A ONE Championship veteran who has been with the promotion since its first event in 2011, Ng is known for being a devastating striker with lightning quick hands and feet, as well as a highly technical grappler with a wide range of submissions. He returns to the ONE Championship cage against former champion Honorio Banario.
A former ONE Featherweight World Champion, Team Lakay’s Honorio “The Rock” Banario has long been one of the Philippines’ most respected mixed martial arts veterans. His vast cage experience has brought him all over Asia, encompassing several memorable battles against top divisional talent. Among his many talents, wushu expert Banario’s strength lies in his striking, but he has recently improved on his grappling as well. He is now ready to showcase his growing skills against Eddie Ng.
Christian Lee, younger brother of ONE Women’s Atomweight Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, has impressed in his first few outings inside the ONE Championship cage. His growing skillset boasts unorthodox and unpredictable striking techniques, as well as technical grappling and creative submission maneuvers. The undefeated Lee is riding the momentum of five straight stoppage wins inside the ONE cage—three by highlight reel knockout and the other two by crafty submission—and looks to continue his early success against Martin Nguyen, his toughest opponent to date.
27-year-old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a former ONE Featherweight title challenger with a 6-1 professional mixed martial arts record. All of Nguyen’s victories have come within the distance in the form of four solid TKO wins and two submissions, proving how dangerous he is in all areas. Nguyen’s complete skillset allows him to compete at the highest level as a professional, and he’ll be seeking to re-enter title contention with a victory against the promising Christian Lee.
Alain “The Panther” Ngalani trains out of Impakt MMA in Hong Kong, and is a veteran heavyweight contender with massive size and strength. Armed with the agility and quickness of a lighter fighter, Ngalani is a terrifying combination of size and speed, and is always looking to end fights early. In his last bout, Ngalani needed just a little over a minute to stop Ukraine’s Igor Subora, winning by TKO in the first round. Ngalani now looks to entertain local fans in attendance with another spectacular performance as he takes on Alexandre Machado.
Brazilian heavyweight champion Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado is a rare breed of heavyweight with a penchant for submissions. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, he currently sports a 7-2 professional mixed martial arts record, and will be making his second appearance inside the ONE cage. He will have his hands full dealing with the hulking Alain Ngalani in what promises to be a classic and colossal clash of striker vs. grappler.
In the evening’s initial bout offerings, rising Chinese prospects Ma Jia Wen and Ma Hao Bin take on Filipino veteran Jimmy Yabo and Cambodian star Chan Rothana respectively, while Thai national wrestling champion Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai takes on Team Lakay’s undefeated prospect Joshua Pacio.